RICKY Ponting signed off from international cricket with a rare concession...the pressure had ground him down.

For so many years the implacable iceman of international cricket, Ponting conceded he could not turn his rousing early season Sheffield Shield form into runs against South Africa because he put too much pressure on himself.

But he retires without a solitary regret after Australia lost the third Test South Africa at the WACA Ground.

Though choking up with emotion at his farewell press conference he performed with great poise and dignity as he admitted the stress of his farewell summer had inhibited his play.

"Excluding Brisbane and the start of Adelaide where I got a pretty good ball, I reckon I have put a lot of pressure on myself to perform,'' Ponting said.

"I have not been able to deal with it as well of late as I would have liked to. Normally for me when those big moments come around I have been able to find something within and go out and score runs. I have not been able to do that for a while now and that was when the alarm bells started to ring.''

Ponting was given a guard of honor by the South African team before making eight in his final Test innings, caught at slip by Jacques Kallis off the left-arm spin of Robin Peterson.

His series returns of 32 runs at 6.4 were a sad punchline to a magnificent 168-Test career.

"That caught me by surprise,'' he said of South Africa's guard of honor.

Ricky Ponting of Australia addresses a media conference with his daughter Emmy after playing his last International cricket match. Picture: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

"Even today only being at the crease for 20 balls was a pretty special time. Everyone who has retired would have felt that as well. It has been a hard week. We have not got the result we were after. Within my own mind I knew it was the time to walk away. I had more of a fairytale ending than what happened this week.''

Ponting felt South Africa's second day revival in Perth, when they skittled Australia before scoring 206 in the last session, was the most remarkable counter attack from any team he had played.

He feels his place will be taken by Rod Quiney, Phil Hughes, Usman Khawaja or Alex Doolan and whoever is chosen can do the job.

Ponting rated the proudest achievement of his captaincy career was winning the last series between the two nations in South Africa in 2009-10 when he took an emerging group of players away.

Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara split honors as the best batsmen he saw while Curtly Ambrose and the magnificent Pakistani Wasim Akram were the pick of the bowlers.

Curtly Ambrose stars down Ricky Ponting during the first Australia v West Indies Test match at the Gabba in 1996. Picture: Anthony WeateSource: Getty Images

"I felt Sachin was the best player I played against. That came from a captain's point of view knowing he had so much success against us. But the other way of looking at it was I lost more sleep on the eve of games over Lara.

"I always judge players on their ability to win games and Lara probably did that more than Sachin did for India. You have to put Kallis in that bracket as well. He averages 57 in Tests which is remarkable given how much he has bowled.

"As far as the bowlers Wasim Akram and Curtly Ambrose were the outstanding quicks I faced for different reasons. Ambrose for his ability to make you feel as if you could not score and Akram for the opposite because you would get a few runs but you always sensed an unplayable ball was coming with an old or new ball.

Ricky Ponting and the great Indian Sachin Tendulkar (R).Source: Supplied

Ponting said he would miss the mateship and the dressing room which would be "irreplaceable.''

He heads to Hobart now to play in the Big Bash for the Hobart Hurricanes.

"I might be around for the Test (against Sri Lanka) and might just turn up to training and see if there is just one more chance,'' he quipped.

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